Dempsey vs Shea

Dempsey and Sheacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dempsey was ranked #2671 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dempsey was ranked #5891 and Shea #3015 among girls in England and Wales.

Dempsey and Shea over time

Dempsey and Shea appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Shea held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dempsey in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Dempsey reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Shea in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Dempsey held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shea in 28.
Highest recorded here: Dempsey #1591 in 1996, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dempsey #2671, Shea #1322.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 1996–2024
Dempsey held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Shea in 8.
Highest recorded here: Dempsey #1958 in 1997, Shea #2105 in 2002.
The order changed in 2024: Shea moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #4056 and #5687; by 2024 that had become #5891 and #3015.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dempsey #5891, Shea #3015.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Shea

Pairs where Shea shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Craig vs Shea
In 1997 they stood at #68 and #70 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2015 they were #415 and #33.
Craig · Shea · 17 shared years, 1997–2015 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2015 Northern Ireland ranking
Brendan vs Shea
In 1997 they stood at #73 and #70 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2024 they were #404 and #51.
Brendan · Shea · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
Darragh vs Shea
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Darragh and Shea averaged 13.0 places apart, ending at #51 and #51.
Darragh · Shea · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
Freddie vs Shea
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Freddie moved into the top 50 at #17 in 2024 as Shea fell out of it to #51, having been #32 the year before.
Freddie · Shea · 20 shared years, 2005–2024 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Dempsey, Shea
Field	Dempsey	Shea
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	Used for both boys and girls	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well.
Origin	Not yet recorded	Irish
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈʃeɪ/
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Sé, Séaghdha, Shay
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	40/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	high

What the data shows

Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Dempsey does not have one recorded yet.
Dempsey has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
A meaning is recorded for Shea; Dempsey doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
The available evidence gives Dempsey a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Dempsey

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1591 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Shea

Popularity journey

First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys